ALASKA INDUSTEIES. 305 



for duty in the customs service during the season of inaction on the 

 seal islands, which I did, until March 19, 1892, when 1 received the 

 following instructions: 



Treasury Department, 



Office of the Secretary, 

 Washington, D. C, March 19, 1892. 



Sir: Upon receipt of this communication you will report in person to Hon. John 

 W. Foster at the Department of State, and will render such assistance in matters 

 which will be made known to you by him concerning the pending controversy 

 regarding Bering Sea as may be practicable. 



The honorable the Secretary of State has been advised of the assignment of your- 

 self and (Assistant) Special Agents A. W. Lavender and Joseph Murray to this duty. 

 Kespectfully, yours, 



O. L. Spaulding, 



Acting Secretary. 

 Mr. William H. Williams, 



Special Agent, Washington, I). C. 



In pursuance to the foregoing instructions, I reported to the Hon. 

 John W. Foster, and also directed Assistant Agents Murray and 

 Lavender to do the same. I was informed that it was desired that 

 myself and assistants proceed at once to the Pacific coast and procure 

 su«h information as might be obtained in relation to the fur-seal indus- 

 try. The inquiry was to embrace, in all of its various relations to the 

 commercial worlcl, the habits and condition of this valuable fur-bearing 

 animal from its earliest history to the present time, with the view of 

 placing the same before the arbitrators in the Bering Sea case now 

 pending between our Government and Great Britain. I instructed 

 Assistant Agent Joseph Murray to proceed to Port Townsend, Wash., 

 and take passage on the United States cruiser Albatross, which was 

 under orders to cruise north to Cooks Inlet, Prince William Sound, and 

 Kadiak, and Assistant Agent A. W. Lavender to go to the same place 

 and take passage on the TJnited States revenue cutter Coricin, which 

 was to cruise north along the coast to Sitka, with full instructions as 

 to the nature of their duties. I went to San Francisco, and was actively 

 engaged in taking evidence from San Diego, Cal., to Victoria, British 

 Columbia, until May 7, at which time I received Department instruc- 

 tions of May 2 (copy inclosed ') and sailed the same day for the Pribilof 

 Islands on the North American Commercial Company's s,tea,mer Bertha. 



Agent Murray arrived at Port Townsend from his trip on the Alba- 

 tross April 28, and I directed him to leave on the first Government 

 vessel going to the islands, and also sent instructions for Agent Lav- 

 ender to do the same on his return from the north. 



I arrived at Unalaska May 20, and as the ISTorth American Commer- 

 cial Company's steamer would be delayed at that place for some days, 

 I applied to Commander Evans, of the United States cruiser YorJctoini, 

 who very kindly gave me passage to St. Paul Island, at which place I 

 arrived May 24. Assistant Agent Murray arrived at Unalaska in time 

 to take passage with me on the YorJctoicti, and Assistant Agent Lav- 

 ender arrived a few days later on the revenue cutter Covicln. The for- 

 mer I placed in charge of St. Paul Island to relieve Special Emj)loyee 

 Milton Barnes, who had permission to return to San Francisco, he hav- 

 ing remained on the island during the previous winter, and the latter in 

 charge of St. George Island to relieve Assistant Agent Nettleton, who 

 also, for a similar reason, had permission to return to Port Townsend. 



Department instructions of May 2 clearly defined my duties, and on 

 leaving the islands (June 10) I turned them over to Mr. J. Stanley- 



1 See Exhibit A of report of J. Stanley-Brown. 

 H. Doc. 92- — 20 



